In the midst of Fitz negotiating a historic peace deal, Olivia must rely on her instincts when a guest of the The White House discloses powerful intel. Meanwhile, Jake uses Huck’s help to get closer to his target, and Cyrus takes matters into his own hands when he realizes he’s been shut out of the inner circle.

Troy Patterson

Rhimes hustles the audience into episodes in the middle of things. Pope and her colleagues speak at a clip suggesting years of study at the West Wing School of Elocution and Composition. In the rush, I scarcely had time to scoff at the over-the-top content of the pilot.

James Poniewozik

Maureen Ryan

Even if Scandal isn't quite as instantly addictive as "Grey's Anatomy" was back in the day, this is a well-paced, generally well-acted show with some promising elements (though there is also an occasional tendency to offer contrived redemptions that don't make a ton of sense).

Mary McNamara

It's entertaining to watch, though, distracting in a highly caffeinated way, and Washington and Cusick are especially fun together, but at no point do the characters seem like people or the venue anything but a fast-paced, occasionally clever television show.

Hank Stuever

Sarah Rodman

While there are bouts of facile speechifying, some of the twists are predictable, and the plot gears are greased a little too easily in the pilot--the various OPA employees know, and have dirt on, everyone from cops and mobsters to politicians and reporters--it's a satisfying, fast-paced, well-acted hour with flashes of humor.

Lori Rackl

Robert Bianco

At just seven hours, you can think of Scandal as the modern equivalent of those old Sidney Sheldon miniseries and enjoy it at that level. Assuming you can get through the first hour. And past the main character.

Curt Wagner

Chuck Barney

The cast around Washington is also quite solid, and the show looks and is refreshingly different from a typical procedural. But it also feels a little too slick and superficial, and those gaps in logic may be a problem for some viewers.

Cynthia Fuchs

The show's formula looks to be this: the silly plots swirl, the brokers scheme, and the minions toil, but in each episode, Liv finds a moment to chat with one of these wise, powerful, and inevitably troubled women. In these moments, Scandal is slightly less tabloidy and soapy, and slightly more beguiling.

Rob Owen

Willa Paskin

The banging-the-president plot may outdo "Grey's" and "Private Practice's" in sheer headline-grabbing, gonzo boldness, but it's still ill-advised. The chief executive needs to button up, and even Shonda Rhimes can't make a TV show escapist and over the top enough to obviate that--though, it sure should be interesting to watch her try.

David Wiegand

To enjoy the show, though, you really have to suspend disbelief at many points, just as you do with "Grey's." There are moments when the frenetic drive for cleverness prompts some rather silly decisions about plot points.